⇨ TEST DRIVE MEME: WISMUTH

[ringleaders]

WELCOME TO THE SHOW!↴ Or, more specifically, Lost Carnival's test drive meme! This is an opportunity to try out your characters in the setting before you apply, or to put together samples for characters you've never played before. There are going to be options for both new arrivals and veteran characters. Before we get started, let's lay down some details: You can (and should) read the full premise here. Reserves and Applications are currently OPEN. Recruits can be either willing or tricked this month. You can apply as a newcomer or as a "veteran" character who has been in the carnival for up to three years. In the case of veteran characters, you will need to come up with an explanation of why they haven't been around the carnival recently. TDM threads can be used as game canon after the fact if both characters are accepted, the players agree to it, and it makes any sense contextually. If you are interested in additional IC and OOC plot responsibilities, consider applying for a Supervisor position. Head Cook and Treasurer are currently open. Otherwise, we're pretty much down for anything, roles wise. CURRENT STOP↴ ⇨ WISMUTH ⇦ Wismuth is a large coastal city on the east shore of what would usually be the United States. The world it's part of is an Earth variant, meaning that while some aspects may be different, overall it will contain a similar look and feel to Earth many are accustomed to, including some overlapping celebrities, corporations, and technologies. Its most notable feature is that this planet is a part of what is called a 'Pillar of Creation' - a focal point of Creation's energies in the multiverse. The effects of this feature are the only aspect of the setting that will be relevant for this testdrive, as recruits will be entirely within the carnival as opposed to out in the city. ► VIBRANCY OF CREATION: The immediate effects of this trait are that everything in Wismuth, and in the carnival because of its connection to Wismuth, is filled with an unusual sort of vibrancy - colours seem brighter, sounds seems to resonate more deeply, and all other physical sensations will strike visitors as oddly intense, including their own emotions. It's a subtle effect rather than anything that will be overtly disorientating, but it's almost as if everything is more "real" here than it is anywhere else. Obviously, the locals, whom are mostly just ordinary looking humans, have had plenty of time to grow accustomed to this. On the bright side, as a tourist, you have the opportunity to experiment with this sensation as a form of recreation. Recruits from this month will be signing on with the carnival between Day 8 and Day 11 on the season calendar. NEW RECRUITS↴ You gotta start somewhere, right? These prompts are for characters who are arriving in the carnival for the first time, and who are destined to sign a contract. How they go about that is up to you, but in the meantime they can enjoy the sights and sounds of something truly out of this world. Will you become her most recent hire? ► ADMISSION FEES: After crossing into the carnival's realm and passing through the trees, most visitors will find themselves at the front gate - though not all choose to enter that way. If they enter legitimately, however, they will have to pass by a clerk who will trade admission and tickets for various attractions and rides in exchange for "anything of value." What is of value may seem highly subjective, and so some may struggle to produce payment at first, though in actuality the carnival will take anything from mundane currency to items of purely sentimental value. ► MIRROR MAZE: The mirror maze is a big attraction in the carnival, and stretches much further on the inside than it looks like it will on the outside. It's hard to get through, and what's more, after you've been in there for a while your reflections will start gaining a mind of their own - mostly in order to taunt and distract you with personal information. They don't know everything you know, but they know more than they should, and their mind games can be pretty hit or miss. ► GAMER'S CIRCLE: Almost all of the game booths are organized in a large ring around the Cookhouse, called Gamer's Circle. Your can play just about any carnival game you can imagine here, for a variety of prizes sometimes traditional, exotic, or outright magical. Dart tossing? Got it. That game with the water guns? Got it. Most of these booths are currently manned by humanoid spirits who look like they are made of smoke. If they can trick you into earning debt, they will. ► TUNNEL OF "LOVE": A brand new attraction in the carnival, the Tunnel of Love is mostly what you'd expect from such a ride - two people sit in a boat together which journeys through some glitter filled caves, complete with mood music. Unfortunately, there is also something else in there with you... in the form a moody kraken living in the waters, who has very particular opinions about shipping, and may either stubbornly interfere with any attempted intimacy, or may politely encourage it. Or they may just generally be a dick if they're in no mood for either. The Ringmaster insists it is a romance expert. ► TRYING TO LEAF: No matter where you came from, you seemingly emerged from a forest. Obviously, to get back home you should be able to go back in the same direction, right? It turns out you can't. Worse, trying too hard to get through the wood will result in you getting lost, or turned back to the carnival. The trees here are not normal, and are varying levels of alien, including things like trees with glowing fruit or orange flowers that constantly burn like candles. ► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to make a starter with your character experiencing their first theoretical change? Go for it! VETERAN WORKERS↴ These prompts are tailored to the carnival's existing employees, the veterans. Odds are they've been here from somewhere between a few months and three years already, and know their way around the block. For them, this is just business as usual - and depending on their attitude towards their job, they may or may not contribute to a few people accidentally getting themselves a contract. Whatever you do, though, don't warn visitors away from the carnival - the ringmaster hates losing business like that. ► DO YOUR WORK: This one's pretty simple - just have your character doing whatever you'd like to have their job be! There is a big list of ideas over here, and you could use this to try things out with a character you intend to be a new arrival, as well. ► BREAK TIME: Whatever you were doing, it's break time! It's time for you to relax however you see fit. Do you enjoy some of the carnival attractions yourself, or is that old by now? Do you hang out in the Cookhouse to get a snack? Do you take a nap? Yolo, baby! ► DUNK TANK: Sometimes acting like a dick will earn you the gentle reprimand of being sent to work in the Dunk Tank for the afternoon - you know that game where people throw balls at a target, and if they hit it you get dropped into the water? It's like that, only sometimes there are daunting (but harmless) critters in the water, or some other strange magical affects to spice things up. Hopefully, the visitors will have bad aim. ► WILD CARD: Anything else you can imagine in this setting! There are a lot of possibilities and you're free to explore them. Check out the rest of the game info or the locations page for additional inspiration. Want to do a performance? Hang out in the Backyard? Choose whatever appeals!

Comments

[recapping]

Dandelion can't help but raise an eyebrow at Renfew's claim. All three in a bullseye? Well, that's a bit braggy, isn't it. He shrugs slightly, stepping out of the way and gesturing to the cinder sprite that's running the game booth.

"Be my guest. Let's see what you've got."

[whatremained]

And he'll step right on up, forking over whatever the game costs in the form of, well, probably coins. They look metal and they're small. Close enough. In return, the cinder sprite puts three more darts out and does whatever weird thing cinder spirits do to reset the game. Chances are it looks creepy. That doesn't worry him.

What he does do before picking up the first dart, however, is a very simple, unobtrusive gesture of touching something tied to his belt but hidden under his rough, red cloak. Then he picks the first one up and makes a huge show of closing one eye and squinting at the target, screwing his face up in concentration as he aims, winding up for the throw, and—

Thunk.

Yep, that's definitely a bullseye for dart number one.

[recapping]

As he is a normalass dude without any fun things like 'magic' or 'crazy witcher senses', Dandelion misses the fact that Renfew's touching the thing on his belt entirely. Truth be told, he's more focused on examining the possibly-coins and trying not to pay attention to the cinder spirits because yeah, they're super creepy, he doesn't want to deal with that.

So, he sits back, arms idly crossed over his chest as he watches Renfew squint at the target, concentrate, throw the dart...and well. Shit. He might be a bit better than expected.

"That's only one out of three," Dandelion points out, trying his hardest to seem nonchalant. Of course he would smack talk someone who's amazing at darts, he couldn't just smack talk someone who's okay at it, after all life would never be that easy!

[whatremained]

"Patience, patience," Renfew scolds in a sing-song fashion, wagging a finger in the air. After that, he'll go through the same process of touching his belt from just behind the drape of his cloak and then reach out to pick up the second dart. Again, he goes through the same song and dance — making faces at the target as he takes him, exaggerated gestures and all — before throwing.

Thunk.

Bullseye again, squeezed into the red circle at the center right next to the first.

[recapping]

...alright, this isn't looking good. Even if this guy completely blows it, that's two bullseyes compared to his big fat zero. Dandelion's slightly regretting his trash talking and smack talking, though.

"You're running out of space in there," Dandelion teases, though it's not as jokey as it was before. Please don't let this guy get a third bullseye. It's probably going to happen but please universe, don't let it happen.

[whatremained]

Amazingly enough, Dandelion gets his wish. He may not be able to detect magical cheating but, oh boy, the cinder spirit sure can. So when Renfew goes through the same routine with the third and final dart, it intervenes just as he lets it fly by smacking the dart out of the air. It hits the ground, bounces... and lays still, for the moment.

A moment just long enough for Renfew to be upset, of course. He jumped back, startled when the spirit did that.

"Hey! You can't do that! What kind of game runner are you, you stupid ghost?!"

[recapping]

...thank you, ghost. Right now, Dandelion is just mentally taking back anything bad he's ever said about ghosts because this tiny little weird ghost thing saved him from complete humiliation AND helped change the conversation to something that isn't Dandelion's mediocre darts skills.

"Maybe the ghost just wanted to even the odds." Which...doesn't make sense, but Dandelion doesn't have any other information. Why did the cinder spirit knock that dart out of the air?

"Come on, uh, ghost thing. What's the answer?" he asks, like the cinder spirits can actually talk.

[whatremained]

Seeing how they can't actually talk, it just continues to exist there, probably staring at them. It's hard to tell. Do they have eyes? Do they? Thankfully, while Renfew carries on huffing and puffing about this, the dart itself is about to answer Dandelion's question in place of the spirit. From on the ground, it starts twitching a little all on its own.

"It just doesn't want to give away any of its prizes, I bet! What else could it possibly be?" Renfew complains, pointing accusingly at the biggest, most ridiculous stuffed pot-bellied pig toy in the stall. Why that is honestly at random, but whatever. He's making a point here!

A point that won't hold any actual water when the dart, previously knocked out of the air and currently moving on its own while on the ground, figures out where its target is now and rockets up straight off the bottom of the game stall and embeds itself with one final thunk in the bullseye. Yeah, that even has Renfew trailing off to stare for a second or two.

"...uh." Yeah, Renfew. That's a pretty big 'uh' there. "Well... that... hmm!"

[recapping]

Dandelion can't help but watch in confusion as the dart rockets up from the ground to hit the bullseye. That confusion only lasts a minute though as Dandelion turns back to Renfew, raising an eyebrow and giving him the biggest 'uh huh, sure' look imaginable. Talent his ass, this is 100% magic.

"Now let's see you try again without using magic." And he's got the biggest, shit-eating grin on his face that's humanly possible. Now's the time when Renfew's going to suck at darts and Dandelion will prove his carnival game superiority, right? Hopefully!